It could be argued that all spiritual systems are eclectic systems for every religion or spiritual philosophy known to man has been colored to a greater or lesser degree by influences from elsewhere. Historically this blend has been accomplished through acculturation or imposition as one religious system came in contact with another.

That process is somewhat accentuated today as advances in communication make it possible for people to be exposed to a broad spectrum of spiritual thought. The net result seems to be that many people pluck and tuck philosophies and pantheons with little understanding or appreciation for the appropriated material. On the other hand, contemporary western Paganism has a tradition of appropriating any idea that doesn’t run away fast enough going back to the middle of the 20th Century. Unfortunately it is also true that many contemporary Pagans are not prone to letting factual truth stand in the way of a good story.

I would suppose then that some degree of eclecticism is unavoidable and not necessarily a bad thing. I would however contend that an over indulgence in mix and match can lead to intellectual indigestion when ethical considerations such as giving credit where credit is due are set aside. We see this quite often in the various mutations of Wicca that have evolved over the last forty years.

Certainly there are many paths to truth and some approaches to eclectic spirituality have been quite successful. The two that come to mind are Unitarian Universalism and Cao Dai. Yet even within those multifaceted congregations, most individuals find the full realization of the key religious functions, comfort and hope, rest firmly in a personal concept of the Divine.

In some respects eclecticism is an essential part of the journey for in our quest for enlightenment we may visit many places and knock on many doors. We will dine at many tables and sample the fruits of many different branches of the tree of wisdom. However most of us will find that eventually we knock on a door that opens to a place our heart knows well and we will call it home.